Canon EOS 1V?

I need to replace my Canon EOS 5, the shutter is toast along with the mode dial so it is not worth repairing. I have found a Canon EOS 1V for sale but it is a bit over my budget. Does anyone have an opinion on this camera? I need to stick with EOS bodies as I have several lenses that I love to shoot with and don't want to replace them too. Thanks.

I am very happy with my EOS3. It has one function that no other EOS camera has: the ability to focus on the spot you are looking at in the viewfinder!! This is huge and reduces a lot your need to recompose after focus while keeping focus fast.
The following table compares these cameras: http://photonotes.org/reviews/1-1N-3-1V/

My EOS 5 also had that feature but I never really used it. Thanks for the link.

Originally Posted by davidmarinero

I am very happy with my EOS3. It has one function that no other EOS camera has: the ability to focus on the spot you are looking at in the viewfinder!! This is huge and reduces a lot your need to recompose after focus while keeping focus fast.
The following table compares these cameras: http://photonotes.org/reviews/1-1N-3-1V/

Thank you all for your replies. I've been doing a lot more research after reading them and I am still leaning towards blowing the budget and going for the 1V. I've seen it reviewed as the best film camera ever made for one and if it is the best then there is nowhere to upgrade to so it will be a one off purchase. I also like the weather proofing that is built in, I am getting more into landscape photography so being able to take it out in the snow or rain without worrying too much is appealing to me. I have a week to make a final decision so if anyone else has an opinion or view on the 1V I would be very pleased to hear it.

Some personal experience in hindsight; I owned one for two years before downsizing to its predecesor, the EOS1N:

It's heavy, very, very robust, easy to navigate (if you are used to Canon cameras), water and vapor sealed, has a 150,000 cycle high speed shutter, too many custom functions to be of sensible use at any one time, can (as can the 1N) chew through 36 exposures in 3 seconds (if you're not on cue as to what settings are where and when!) and will keep you focus of attention among the digital brigade simply because the 1V, when it was released, was the definitive camera for those who wanted the best and needed speed and refinement; nothing lacking there. The strongest point though is in the vast improvement to flash metering, something that was sorely lacking with earlier EOS bodies including the venerated 1N (discontinued 2000).

Good examples can be found readily but whatever you buy should be bench tested (Canon's own technies plug in a computer to download shutter cycles, drive information the number of actual exposures (as opposed to the number of rolls for the EOS 1N), flash and overall system metrics e.g. faults, custom function settings, shutter/aperture accuracy. This assumes the techies actually still have these analysers around.

The EOS 5 is a good and reliable performer — until that Achilles Heel, the mode selector dial, breaks. Mine did so twice, twice repaired, still holding, then the lens release button broke (another known weakness for the 5 and 3), that was repaired and still going, but now the back cover latch is broken; I retired the 5 four years ago, using it since 1993 to 2003: it faithfully captured all the scenes on Velvia that I committed to the Ilfochrome Classic process.

Your biggest gripe over time though might be the weight of the camera; it was too much for me (I have small hands and mild dystrophy) after just a handful of bushwalks (the 1N with PDBE1 is a little better). The EOS 3 is no substitute if you need speed, reliability and brute force; but the 1V is probably an overkill for pottering around the landscape, but the same too can be said of the 1N and legions of other workhorse cameras: if it rows your boat and you really want it, there's just one thing to do: bust the bank!

I rarely use my 1V, even though: (1) It is an awesome example of camera construction and design, (2) I use Canon for not-film, and (3) I even have that stupid cable and ridiculous custom function software... because it's such a giant. EVEN though I mostly shoot Large Format or my Fuji 6x8, when it comes to 35mm, my favourite these last few years is the venerable Olympus OM4 = a great SMALL camera... This is a surprise even to me...